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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Today I am pleased to welcome the author of the popular Flower Shop Mysteries, KATE COLLINS!

Kate's books have made the Barnes & Noble mass market mystery best-sellers’ lists, the Independent Booksellers’ best-seller’s lists, as well as booksellers’ lists in Australia and England. All of the books are available in hardback, large print editions both in the U.S. and in the UK. An Indiana native, Kate graduated from Purdue University with a master's degree in education. She taught elementary school for six years, but after the birth of her first child, gave up her teaching career to pursue a long-time dream of putting her stories to paper. After writing short humorous stories for children’s magazines and working part-time as a legal secretary, she sold her first historical romance novel in 1995. When not growing roots at her computer, Kate loves to grow flowers and vegetables in her garden. Other passions include yoga, exploring the Greek Isles, decorating, power walking, spending time with family and friends, sampling great wines and dark chocolate, and enjoying every moment of life. The author lives in Northwest Indiana and Key West, Florida.﻿

R:Hello, Kate. Welcome to the blog and my “Hotseat”

K: Hello, Rocco. Thanks for inviting me!

R: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

K: Wow. I have to go way back to answer this, starting with my childhood, when I told myself stories to get to sleep. Usually they were about a handsome prince (as in Charming) galloping up on his white charger and sweeping me away to live happily ever after as his princess.I also liked to concoct tales that entertained and frightened the neighborhood kids. Did you know that a mouth lived in the attic crawlspace between my bedroom and my brother’s? Yep, a mouth. No face, no head, just all by its lonesome. Kids would practically pay to come to my bedroom, peer inside the crawlspace, “see” the mouth, and go screaming out the door. It taught me what the imagination could do. My ability to make up stories also got me out of and into trouble on many occasions. My mom called them fibs.

But it wasn’t until after I retired from teaching elementary school to raise my children that I actually put pen to paper and wrote humorous children’s stories for magazines. Next, I turned to historical romance (some published under Linda O’Brien, now available as e-books) and had seven published.

When the western historical market died out back in the 1990s, I turned to my true love, mystery, and the Flower Shop series was born.

R: You were a legal secretary – did that provide the inspiration for Abby’s attending law school?What made you decide to have her pursue a career as a florist rather than lawyer.

K: In a nutshell, my husband was the head of the law firm – it was where we met, an office romance unfolding under the noses of the other employees – awwww. While working there, I met young women who had just graduated from law school and were trying to make a go of it. So I originally intended for Abby Knight to be one of them, but my agent said “Bor-ing! Not another lawyer sleuth.”

So after some thought, I decided to make Abby a law school flunk-out, an underdog who gets smacked in the face by life. Readers have taken to her struggles in a big way, so it was a good choice. Everyone can identify with an underdog.

R:Your books seem to be very knowledgeable about flowers and plants. Do you have a “green thumb” yourself?

K: I love gardening. I’ve always tried to surround myself with flowers and so I studied them. I’ve tried my hand at flower arranging, too, and while I’m okay, I’m certainly not a floral designer. I study a lot of flower arranging books and scour websites and magazines for floral ideas. I also have a few on-line florist friends who kindly let me call on them for tips. Before starting the series, however, I hung out in a flower shop workroom for a few days to absorb everything I could.I decided then that if I couldn’t make a go as a mystery writer, I would look into working at a flower shop. It’s just the coolest place to be.

R: You were an elementary school teacher – which did you prefer, teaching or writing?

K: Tough question! When I taught, my favorite subject was – creative writing! I love to share knowledge with people, so now I find myself wanting to do more workshops for writers. But would I give up writing to teach? Nope. I’m too right-brained. I need creativity.

R: Tell us about your latest release in your “flower shop mystery” series, “Seed No Evil”.Is there a happy ever after for Abby and Marco?

K: Oh, wow, I wish I could express fully how excited I am about this book. This is THE BOOK my readers have been waiting for, and I promise it won’t disappoint. For readers who don’t know how the publishing process works, once a manuscript is turned in, the author has to take 3 more passes at it for revisions, copy-edits, and proof-reading. This is the first time that I teared up every single time I read the last chapter – and I knew what was coming!

R:Several of your books feature storylines involving animal activists and animal rights.Is this a cause you are passionate about?

K: You bet I am. I support several local animal shelters and give to the major ones like HSUS, NWF, and WWF. In fact, in SEED NO EVIL, an animal shelter that is about to change from no-kill to kill features prominently in the plot. Abby is beside herself with worry. I think readers will love this story line. It tugs at the heart.

R: How did you decide to write in the “cozy mystery” genre?

K: It wasn’t a choice I made. It’s just the way I write. I love to laugh, I love to put together puzzles, I love romance, and I love unique characters. What I don’t like are graphic, gory scenes of murder and torture. I won’t read them and I won’t write them.I don’t watch horror movies, either. They keep me awake at night.

R: What is your favorite genre to read and do you have a favorite author?

K: Honestly, I don’t have a favorite genre or a favorite author. I read across a broad spectrum of subjects, both fiction and non and like so many authors that it would be boring to list them all.I did vastly enjoy Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series, which I hesitated reading for years because the premise turned me off. Big mistake! What an imagination Suzanne has. I’m in awe.

R:Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

K: I got my present agent, Karen Solem, after having to fire my first agent for leaving me hanging for months on end. I had already published seven romances by that time, and when I tried to sell the Flower Shop series, I couldn’t get an agent to rep me. One agent told me she “just didn’t fall in love with” my characters. (Too bad because a lot of readers did.) Anyway, after eighteen query letters went nowhere, I finally asked my then editor, who gave me Karen’s name. Karen read my manuscript, loved Mum’s the Word and had a 3 book contract within two weeks.

On selling my first book: That first call came when I was changing out of work clothes into something comfy. I was half-dressed, standing in my bedroom, jumping up and down on the carpet while trying to sound very professional and calm. What a marvelous day that was.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

K: I must have a clean desk. If my view is distracted by “stuff” so is my creative mind.

I must have a serene view. Same reason as above.

I must start the writing process by playing at least one game of Free Cell. I don’t know how it works, but it seems to shut off my left brain, which always wants to remind me that laundry is waiting, bills need to be written, etc. Can’t work in the right brain until the left side has been switched off. Phone calls drive me crazy because it switches me back to the left side.People seem to think that writing isn’t like a real job, where you can’t take calls during working hours. Sigh. Even though I don’t answer, the sound annoys me. Plus, having children, I always check to see if there’s an emergency situation.

R: You’ve also written historical romances.If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

K: I wrote extensively about the late 1800s, so I did a lot of research on those years. I really would not want to go back then or even earlier. Until the 1950s, life was just plain tough. What I would like to visit though, is a time before the United States was colonized. I’d love to see what the land looked like back then, when it was still pristine and unpolluted.

R: If a movie were to be made of one of your books, which one would you want it to be and who would you pick for the lead roles?

K: I would have a hard time choosing only one, but maybe, maybe! SHOOTS TO KILL. I love the evil twin plot. But I really think the whole set would make a great TV series. Hard to choose actors, though. Believe me, I’ve tried. I’ve even had contests where readers chose the actors, and boy, were there some strange choices. I see Abby and Marco and the others very clearly in my mind, but I’d leave it up to the casting agent to find them. (I’d want veto rights, however.)

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

K: I’m not sure this would surprise my friends, but I’ve done some of the risky, almost foolhardy things that Abby has done in the name of justice. Just like Abby, I hate bullies, so maybe taking a stand against one isn’t always the wisest course. Other than that, I’ve been kidnapped by a money-hungry camel driver in Giza, Egypt, and eventually ransomed by my husband for a mere $5, (he got a deal) went spelunking in a southern Indiana cave for research for one of my romances,and rode in a hot air balloon.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done?

K: Wrote that first novel and believed I could get published. Everyone thought I was crazy, but I believed in myself.

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

K: A sense of joy about life, a determination to stand up against any kind of bullying, a desire to help others, and a lot of laughter.

Above is a photo of the prizes, which include a set of “Serenity – Better Days” comics from Dark Horse, an 8 x 10 color photo of Nathan as Captain Mal Reynolds with authentic repro autograph; a quality repro of the pilot script for “Firefly” with reproductions of the autographs of nine cast members; plus the complete DVD set of “Firefly” and a bonus DVD: Browncoat Redemption!

The auction runs for ten days and ends on Friday, July 26th.

Remember, all proceeds from this auction benefit Nathan’s charity – so give from your heart. As a charitable contribution, it's tax deductible, meow!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Time for our annual KIDS NEED TO READ fundraiser! And to kick it off, I've prepared a lovely fanfiction post from none other than Nathan Fillion's alter ego, the very ruggedly handsome....RICHARD CASTLE!

If Castle could prepare an introductory post, I'm certain it would go something like this....

Hello, Everyone! Richard Castle here! and a big shout out to ROCCO for having me!

Whew!It’s been quite a summer so far, as I work on my latest novel and wait for Kate’s answer to my momentous question (don’t worry…all will be revealed in September!) but I simply had to take time out to say a few words about my good friend Nathan Fillion’s charity, Kids Need to Read!

KNTR works to create a culture of reading for children by providing inspiring books to underfunded schools, libraries, and literacy programs across the United States, especially those serving disadvantaged children.And as a ruggedly handsome bestselling author, I know just how important reading is!

Reading inspires confidence, bridges the differences between people, and forms a fundamental stepping stone to better communication skills – in fact, it may be the single most important skill a child can develop to become a productive member of society.Books open children’s mind to a world of possibility while at the same time stimulating their intellect, imagination and intelligence.It’s a sad thing, but when budget cuts impact our school system, the first thing usually cut is the libraries, often leaving schools without the necessary funds to buy new books.This is where KIDS NEED TO READ comes in.

KNTR was established to help provide exciting new books to underfunded libraries, school systems and independent literacy programs.In addition, KNTR aspires to make an impact on childhood literacy by actively getting children excited about reading.Remember the shot in the arm the Harry Potter series gave books only a few short years ago?KNTR aims to have the same effect.Their literacy donation list is carefully reviewed to provide high-quality books that will stimulate the imagination and engage the mind.

KNTR was founded in 2008 by PJ Haarsma, Denise Gary, and my pal Nathan Fillion.Just like the children they help, KNTR has big dreams for the future. These include advanced reading programs and groundbreaking initiatives like their flagship READING REVOLUTION.Developed in partnership with Arizona State University and ASU Prepatory Academy, Reading Revolution delivers a wonderfully enhanced curriculum to the middle school children it serves. Through RR, KNTR actively illustrates to children and adolescents the hows and whys of a skill they may heretofore have had little or no interest in.This engaging program inspires students with thoughts of a brighter tomorrow.

You can learn more about KNTR, it’s programs, history and mission statement at:

Tomorrow, ROCCO will post the link to the Ebay auction where several FIREFLY goodies are up for grabs.I do sincerely hope you will take the time to support my good friend Nathan Fillion’s fine charity!

See you in September!

Richard Castle

So, Kitties….if Castle were to write an introduction, I think that’s pretty much how he’d do it!Do you agree?

Come back tomorrow when the links to our “Firefly/KNTR” auction for KNTR will be posted here.You can also check Facebook, the Human’s home page, KNTR’s homepage, and the KNTR website for the link!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Edie started her writing career selling short stories for mystery magazines and anthologies. She's published quite a few paranormal romances and even tiptoed into the sci fi romance genre. Now she writes contemporary romance with heart and attitude and magic.

Edie's here to talk about her new series, which prominently features rescue animals! (and you know I'm a sucker for a good cause!)

So...here's Edie!

R: Welcome, Edie! Tell us a bit about your new series, Rescued Hearts!

Rocco, thank you for asking! I’ve got to say that both you and Maxx look very handsome. The Rescued Hearts books are contemporary romances and every story includes cats and/or dogs who are rescued – and often the humans need emotional rescues, too.

I’m a big proponent of giving back, and I’m donating $.25ȼ from every HEARTS IN MOTION book sold to the Washington County Humane Society.

R: You mention the books feature rescue animals. Have you done work with shelters/rescued animals?

Not yet. All our pets have been rescued, and my cousin fosters Siamese cats. She gave me a lot of helpful information. When our remaining dog is gone, we plan on doing more traveling. Because of this, we won’t adopt another dog right away, and we plan to foster dogs instead.

R: What made you decide to do a series featuring rescue animals?

Cats have been a happy theme in many of my books, starting with CATTITUDE, which I published in 2012. I have cats in many of my stories. The novella MUST WORSHIP CATS, which introduced my Miracle Interrupted series, was told entirely in the cat’s point of view.

I love our cat and our dog, and it just adds a fun element to the book. Also, the way people react to animals tells a lot about them, too. Minnie, a Siamese (in honor of my cousin), has a point of view in HEARTS IN MOTION. I enjoy her scenes. She’s often talking to the other cats and dog, and they get to the truth of the matter. I love seeing through their eyes, at least how I imagine it. Some of the things humans do don’t make sense to them.

My cat owns me, not the other way around, but I love our dogs, too. (I’m still grieving the loss of our beagle last November.) I’m a sucker for covers with cats and dogs. When I decided to write this series, my husband and I were already talking about fostering dogs. I knew from the beginning that I wanted the POVs of dogs and cats in this series, and the rescue idea grew out of all of that.

R: What in your life inspired you to become a writer?

The short answer is my love of books and readings, and there was something inside me that wanted to do it.

R: You write both contemporary and paranormal. Which do you prefer and why?

Right now I prefer contemporary, but I’d still like to write stories from my Dead People and Dragon series. I wish there were more hours in the day. I want to do it all!

R: If you could be a supernatural creature, what would you be and why?

Tinkerbelle! I loved her as a child, and she still makes me smile.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done?

Decided that I was going to be a writer.

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

Hope and love and a really good feeling inside of them.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

Sometimes the best aid for my creative process is to walk away from the computer. That’s when the ideas flow.

I work best in quiet in my office on my computer that’s set up perfectly for me – but I’ve also sat in my car during lunch breaks at a former job and scribbled on notebooks. When I started writing, I typed my story on the kitchen table with my family at home, walking to the refrigerator during commercials and talking to me. Even now, my cat and dog are likely to interrupt the quiet of my office anytime. So I don’t think there are any must haves. I’m sure if I were a cave woman, I would draw my story on the cave walls – and there would be images of cats, dogs, and a couple making out. And one of the cats might be a handsome tuxedo cat...

Thanks Edie!

Folks, Edie will be giving away a digital copy of HEARTS IN MOTION to one lucky commenter!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below:

Monday, July 8, 2013

Ellen Byerrum is a mystery writer, a produced and published playwright, and former Washington, D.C., news reporter. Her Crime of Fashion mysteries star savvy sleuth Lacey Smithsonian, a reluctant fashion reporter in Washington D.C., "The City Fashion Forgot." Her most recent book, DEATH ON HEELS, came out in February. The ninth in the series, VEILED REVENGE will be published this coming February. Two of her books, KILLER HAIR and HOSTILE MAKEOVER, were filmed for television by the Lifetime Movie Network and first aired in June 2009. Ellen enjoys hands-on research for her books, including studying private investigation and receiving her Virginia PI registration, exploring the Smithsonian’s backstage costume collection, touring a dying velvet factory, and interviewing sources. Although Ellen worked in D.C. for a number of years, she returned to her hometown of Denver a year ago. She and her husband, Bob Williams, live in the Washington Park area. You can find out more about Ellen at her Web site at http://www.ellenbyerrum.com

R: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

I am a mystery writer, a produced and published playwright, and former Washington, D.C., news reporter. My Crime of Fashion mysteries star savvy sleuth Lacey Smithsonian, a reluctant fashion reporter in Washington D.C., “The City Fashion Forgot.” Her most recent book, VEILED REVENGE was published this coming February.

Time marches on, even in fiction, and my Crime of Fashion characters change and grow. Their lives move forward as the seasons pass, albeit a little more slowly than real life. In Veiled Revenge,the ninth book in the series, just a year has passed since the first book, Killer Hair. But we've seen major life changes for Lacey Smithsonian and her BFFs, Stella Lake and Brooke Barton, as well as for Felicity Pickles, Marie Largesse and the rest of the cast: The complicated mysteries of life, love, fashion, murder—even wedding proposals. When your characters start proposing marriage to each other, things really get complicated. But everyone wants to go to a wedding. Especially a crazy wedding. Including the author!

And what creates more complications than a wedding? Weddings bring out the craziness in everyone, and this story got a little crazier too. I loved exploring how we invest our clothes with magical properties, and then I wondered: If clothes can be magical, can they also be haunted? Or even cursed? The murder of a rude party crasher at a bachelorette bash is something many bridesmaids have longed for. And when a stressed-out bride decides at the last minute she hates her boring wedding dress, maid of honor Lacey Smithsonian must solve yet another urgent Crime of Fashion.

In Veiled Revenge, Lacey discovers that being her friend Stella’s maid of honor is a killer of a job. But Stella and her fiancé Nigel might still make it all the way down the aisle—if murder, mayhem and a haunted Russian shawl don’t get them first.

Sounds like a fun wedding, doesn’t it?

R: You have a Private Investigator license. How did that come about and how helpful has it been with your writing?

Very helpful. During a period after I was laid off from a dreadful job, I took a PI course. I’d always thought it sounded fun. It was fun and informative, and I was inspired to write a couple of one-act plays available from Samuel French, Inc., as Gumshoe Rendezvous. It also inspired book six in the Crime of Fashion Series, Armed and Glamorous.

R: How did the Crimes of Fashion character, Lacey Smithsonian, come about (cool name, btw!) and what is her “Extra-Fashionary Perception?”

Lacey came about after I’d been reading a ton of mysteries. They all featured strong female characters but everyone had a fear of dressing, as if it were some secret of universe. I wanted to see a character who could solve crimes, be tough and witty, and also dress herself.In fact I turned that into her strength, ExtraFashionary Perception is her ability to decode characters through their clothes.

R: You’ve got playwright on your resume – what plays have you written? Would you like to see one on Broadway eventually?

I write plays under my pen name, Eliot Byerrum. A Christmas Cactus and Gumshoe Rendezvous are published by Samuel French, Inc. I also have about a dozen plays that have been produced, including Interviewing Techniques for the Self-Conscious. Of course every playwright dreams of Broadway, but it’s a combo of right place, right time, and knowing the right people. And having the right play.

R:Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

My story is pretty run of the mill. I did a lot of research and compiled a list of agents, spent about a month perfecting my pitch letter, and found an agent. However, that was my first agent. I now have another agent.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

How about coffee?I also am picky about my pens, and yes I write part of my manuscripts by hand. I find it is a completely different mind-paper connection. I used to take long walks by the Potomac River, they seemed to unlock ideas. Now, however, with no river, I have to escape to a coffee shop or library to write.

R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

I

couldn’t possibly pick one. I’m interested in Napoleonic France, the American Revolution, Paris in the Twenties, New York in the Twenties, the women on the home front in the Forties who showed the world what they could do. And I have to admit, I’d love to see some famous designers in their element, like Worth, and Adrian, and even that scamp, Edith Head in Hollywood.

R: If a movie were to be made of one of your books, which one would you want it to be and who would you pick for the lead roles?

Actually, two of my books have been made into films on Lifetime Movie Network, Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover, starring Maggie Lawson and Victor Webster. I’d like to see Grave Apparel made into a movie, but I’d like to write the screenplay. It is a Christmas movie and I am particular about how Christmas is portrayed in the media.

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

Writing a book is always hard for me. It never gets any easier, sad to say. And I hate the movie A Summer Place.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done?

Couldn’t say.

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

A great story and the desire to read all of the books in my series, and take a chance on my e-book on Amazon, The Children Didn’t See Anything.

Just for Fun:

Night or Day? Night.

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)Cat of course.

Beach or Pool?

Steak or salad?Both, love the water.

Favorite Drink?Coffee, water, the occasional cocktail.

Favorite Book?Couldn’t possibly choose, but I love Act One by Moss Hart.

Favorite TV Series?Maybe Justified even though I don’t have cable. Watched on DVD.

the NYT bestselling author of both the Ghost Hunter and Psychic Eye mystery series!

ABOUT MJ:

M. J. Holliday is a spiritual medium who's not afraid of a little adventure. Together with her BFF Gilley Gillespie, M. J. runs a ghostbusting business which often puts historical murder and mayhem front and center. With competing love interests, a best friend who's scared of his own shadow, and a parrot with attitude, some days, it's all M. J. can do just to stay focused.

So without any further ado....MJ!

R: Good Morning, MJ. Tell us a bit about yourself.

MJ: Good morning, ROCCO, lovely to meet you.Let’s see, a little bit about myself…well, I’m in my early thirties, I have a gorgeous boyfriend named Heath, my best friend is a high-maintenance drama queen named Gilley whom I love like my own brother, and I have the great good fortune of being be the human to an adorable, lippy, opinionated parrot named Doc.(Don’t get any mid-morning snack ideas, ROCCO…)J

Oh, and I’m also a psychic medium for a cable TV show called Ghoul Getters.Heath is also a medium and together we hunt down and deliver justice to some wicked scary ghosties….and sometimes a few wicked scary humans too!

R: When did you first realize you had psychic abilities?

MJ: I was young.My mom knew even before I did, and she helped me to feel normal in a world that often didn’t understand me.After she passed away, Gilley’s mom sort of helped me to foster and nurture the ability.It was a lovely gift because it allowed me to stay close with my mom, who still checks in with me from the other side.

R: We understand you’re invited to the wedding of another psychic sleuth, Abby Cooper. How did you two meet and how did that come about?

MJ: Abby and I met through a mutual friend some years ago when she was having difficulty ridding an investment property of its spectral tenants.She did a lot of the evicting work herself, but I was called in just to make sure the place was clean.From there we struck up a friendship.I adore Abby.She’s a crazy talented psychic in her own right, and she’s funny and opinionated…two traits I’ve also been accused of having.

R: Out of all your adventures, do you have a favorite?

MJ: Well, I think Abby’s wedding stands out as probably one of the biggest adrenaline rushes I’ve had in a very long time.You can read about it in Victoria Laurie’s newest book, Deadly Forecast which I believe is now available everywhere books are sold!(They pay me to give plugs like these…)J

R: How would you describe your relationship with Gilley?

MJ: Gil is my best friend on the planet.Nobody knows me as well, or is as willing to call me out on my crap as Gil.I’d jump in front of a train for him.He’d do the same for me as long as he could do it wearing a feather boa.Still, just like real siblings, we have our moments.Or rather, Gil will have a “moment” and I’ll want to slap him.Overall, however, we’re besties and we always will be.

R: So, we know you and Heath Whitefeather are an item. Have we seen the last of your first love, Steven Sable?Or is there a chance we haven’t seen the last of the good doctor?

MJ: It’s funny you should ask about Steven because he just came by my office the other day and was asking about the possibility of hiring my team for a problem he has.It’s a little awkward now that I’m with Heath, but Steven seems to really need my help…so, for old time’s sake, I think we’re gonna see what we can do.I’m sure there’ll be more about that in January when Victoria Laurie gives the account in The Ghoul Next Door. (More plugs…cha-ching!)J

R: You’ve done quite a bit of ghostbusting in Europe for your show, Ghoul Getters.Will you be tracking down ghosts in the US now, or are more visits planned across the pond?

MJ: I think for the time being we’ll be stateside, which is wonderful because I’ve missed the good old US of A.And there’re plenty of spooks here to investigate, I’m sure!I think after we’re done here in Boston helping out Steven we’ll be traveling to my hometown of Valdosta, Georgia.It’ll be good to go home again…sort of.Lots of emotional ghosts there for me, so it’ll probably be a mixed blessing.

R: Which did you prefer, public ghostbusing on Ghoul Getters or taking on private cases?

MJ: I don’t know that I have a preference, ROCCO.I mean, they’re both a lot of work.The benefit to working for a private client is that we don’t have a network to answer to, but sometimes the clients want to be involved a little too much.So, mostly, my team just goes in hoping for the best – to solve the case in front of us and send the nasty spooks back where they belong and bring peace to the haunted.It mostly works out okay in the end.J

R: Can you share any news of future adventures?

MJ: Well, as I mentioned, we’ll be in Boston helping Steven out.His fiancée, (yes…that’s right…he’s engaged…), has a brother who’s had some trouble with a spook who seems to be haunting him.He can’t shake the spook, and from the sound of it, this is one nasty poltergeist.Not quite sure how we’ll go about it, but I know I can’t leave the poor young guy to fend for himself.So, we’ll see…

R: Any advice for aspiring writers?

MJ: Don’t be tempted to overwrite the scene.So often I’ll read something by someone who has real talent, but they get so caught up in the detail of setting the scene that by the time you reach the end of the paragraph you’re bored.Try the rule of three: write only three descriptors about everything and everyone you introduced.i.e. “The room was a lovely shade of peacock with a creamy Berber carpet and matching drapes.”That’s enough for the reader to fill in the rest.Move on to the action.

R: Would you ever consider collaborating with a handsome, debonair (albeit a tad tubby) tuxedo cat?

MJ: Ha!Oh, that is so tempting, but I’d be nervous about making Doc jealous!No, ROCCO, I think you’re a star in your own right and should command the entire spotlight!But thank you so much for the suggestion, and have a lovely morning cuddling with your human.J (ROCCO wipes tear away with paw….)

Thank you, MJ (and Victoria!) for a great interview! I know I can't wait to read DEADLY FORECAST!

GOOD NEWS FOLKS - IT'S OUT TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speaking of which, Victoria will give away a copy of DEADLY FORECAST to one lucky commenter!

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your name and email address (entries without email will be disqualified). For extra entries, you can do any or all of the below: